2020 NOFOAGAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
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Presidential elections are hold in Nofoaga on December 5th 2020, the first direct presidential election since independence in 1995.
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The President of the Republic of Nofoaga is elected to a three-year term in a one-round election: An overall simple majority is sufficient to win the elections.
Who can vote?
All citizens who are Nofoaganese nationals residing in the Republic of Nofoaga and all residents with permanent residency residing in the Republic of Nofoaga and who have a clean criminal record can vote if they be 18 years of age or older on the day of the first election round.Who can stand for election?
All citizens who are Nofoaganese nationals residing in the Republic of Nofoaga and who have a clean criminal record can vote if they be 21 years of age or older on the day of the first election round.When do the elections take place?
The presidential elections will take place on Saturday December 5, 2020. A candidate needs a simple majority in a constituency to win it. The overall result determines who wins the election. Popular votes are not taken into account for this.The following constituencies were formed:
Port-Beauharnais, Tuagavale, North Barama, South Barama and the Tiki Tribe Areas & Northern Nofoaga.The official results of the presidential election will be announced by the election committee on Monday, December 14, 2020.
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PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE - PART 1
Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome you to the very first live debate between the various presidential candidates ever in Nofoaga. This Saturday, December 5, we will all go to the polls and you will decide who will lead our country in the coming years.
Three candidates are competing for your vote and want to take up residence in the Presidential Palace in Port-Beauharnais. In this debate, the candidates are given the floor on the five most important themes. These themes were determined by our news service after extensive research into, among other things, positions already taken. But the population is also given the floor in this debate and can ask questions directly to the candidates.
On Saturday, you will be given a choice of three names: Charles Natutiki of the PFN, Patricia Monserré of the MG and current president Lula Namatatiki of the DIN who is supported by the NF and nominated representative of the Nofoaga Tiki Tribe.
Journalist - Mrs. Namatatiki, welcome. You have been president of Nofoaga for several months now. A term that has already taken longer than planned. Why should the Nofoaganese vote for you on Saturday?
Lula Namatatiki - Nofoaga is now in better shape than it was a few months ago. Our openness to other countries, our commitment and contribution in Europe and our extremely good relations with Spain, for example, are witness to this. I would therefore like all Nofoaganese to reap the benefits of our open and transparent politics.
Journalist - Patricia Monserré, why should we vote for you?
Patricia Monserré - Lula Namatatiki has made several attempts to sideline the National Assembly. She has been called back for that by the Supreme Court. She has also tried to impose a 'fake' identity. I stand for the authenticity of this country and I want to convey that to the rest of Europe.
Journalist - Mr. Natutiki, I also ask you the same question. Why do we choose you Saturday?
Charles Natutiki - I have heard and seen a lot in recent months. Now I hear again transparency, openness, EU policy ... And those are things that are indeed important. But the real problem this country is struggling with is never mentioned, even though we see the consequences of this every day: polarization between ethnic Nofoaganese and ethnic French. Namatatiki represents the first group. Monserré the second. I connect the two groups. As an old saying goes, two Indians will serve as one.
Journalist - Thank you. A debate can sometimes be confused and confusing. That is why we choose to debate around specific themes. We will talk about Nofoaga and its state institutions, polarization and also migration. The presidential candidates let each other speak. We will monitor this closely.
We look forward to seeing you again after the interruption.
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PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE - PART 2: STATE APPARATUS
Welcome back to the grand debate in which the three presidential candidates will reveal their plans for Nofoaga and especially where Nofoaga should go in the coming period.
Dear politicians, Nofoaga has gone through a special period in the political field. After the unrest over the summer, the late President Nikola N'nago resigned. You, Lula Namatatiki then became interim president. Normally there should have been elections already but you have annulled them. Now these will continue. What does that say about our state institutions?
Lula Namatatiki - As I said before in an interview, organizing elections in a politically troubled period is not appropriate. The fact that we now have it shows that my team's policy has brought that peace back. Another element is the democratization of the process. That does not happen in a week's time either. My government has set up and rolled out that democratic process. The next step we want to take is a more efficient state apparatus. I am thinking, for example, of the National Assembly. Today, the House of Representatives has 45 seats. I want to reduce that to 17. That idea is supported by Patricia Monserré, by the way.
Journalist - That is indeed correct Monserré.
Patricia Monserré - Indeed, that's right. I think the National Assembly from 45 to 17 seats is a better reflection of our country itself. But also the transparency and what Namatatiki says, brings about the efficiency. Nofoaga has a problem of leaders taking power. And that is the difference between myself and the president. It wants to bring back the seats to institutionalize what it has already done: to muzzle the National Assembly. I support this idea from a stronger democracy.
Charles Natutiki - The proposal to reduce the room from 45 to 17 seats is indeed a good move. But contrary to what both ladies claim ... that idea is not new and was approved by the National Assembly last week. By all parties, including the PFN. That is one thing. But perhaps more important is the position of president. That post must also become much more democratic. That is why I propose to curtail power and disconnect the government from the president. A president is a president of all of Nofoaga. Of all Nofoaganese. A real bridge figure. And I believe that I can be that bridge figure.
Journalist - I hear a lot of similarities here.
Charles Natutiki - Look ... Our country is the smallest in the EU. We have the lowest number of residents. And I am convinced that all three of us want the best for our country. When it comes to the state apparatus, cooperation is necessary. The PFN is such a collaborative party. I think both Lula Namatatiki and Patricia Monserré can testify that.
Patricia Monserré - If my party was not a cooperative party, I would not be standing here now, Charles.
Journalist - Ok, dear ladies and sir. It is good to see unity but that may make it more difficult for the Nofoaganese to choose on Saturday. It has already been mentioned in this debate. Polarization is a problem in Nofoaga. We all know that. We talk to the candidates. But that's for after the break. See you soon.
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PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE - PART 3: POLARIZATION
It has been mentioned before, but polarization is a real problem in Nofoaga. In July, tensions ran so high between ethnic Nofoaganese and ethnic French that the ensuing riots forced President Nikola N'nago to step aside.
Now, a few months later, things seem to have settled down, but the question is whether the problem has also been resolved. Lula Namatatiki?
Lula Namatatiki - Polarization is indeed a big problem. We are one country, one island and we are also one people. Even though some claim not. There are also those who claim that our only identity is the French identity. That is partly correct. But we are also all Nofoaganese. Me and my government have shown that it is. The appointed representative for the ethnic tribes of North Nofoaga is part of the government. But that government also includes ethnic French.
Charles Natutiki - What you and your government have shown above all is oppression and prosecution of those who do not follow your line or who still dare to think of opposition...
Lula Namatatiki - Mr. Natutiki ... We have never prosecuted people who are in opposition because they are in opposition. People are being prosecuted by the judiciary, not by the government, as you now insinuate, for criminal offenses. And it is true that the vast majority are ethnic Nofoaganese.
Journalist - I want to elaborate on that for a moment. Why is it that they are mainly ethnic Nofoaganese?
Lula Namatatiki - Sorry, but I am not responsible for the crimes of others. I'm responsable for many things but not for that...
Journalist - No, but I just want to ask the question Madam President.
Lula Namatatiki - We must restore order to Nofoaga. There is no order anywhere. Not at school, not in security and not at the level of the security forces. The ethnic Nofoaganese are experiencing a decline in crime, including politicians, which is exploding. That is a reality.
Charles Natutiki - Crime that explodes?
Lula Namatatiki - ... Yes, crime within the ethnic Nofoaganese community is exploding.
Patricia Monserré - No, that's wrong. It isn't exploding.
Lula Namatatiki - Yes it does. Among other things, the non-pretentious violence, robberies ...
Patricia Monserré - You're wrong.
Lula Namatatiki - Yeah... We will arrive now.
Charles Natutiki - The crime rate within the ethnic Nofoagan community is not exploding! Stop scaring people and turning them against each other.
Lula Namatatiki - Ah, so the crime rates aren't rising Mr. Natutiki?
Charles Natutiki - Madam ... if you were to come out on the streets of Tuagavale or Barama sometimes you would see how much solidarity there is between the two groups. Stop targeting a particular community. We are in solidarity with each other.
Lula Namatatiki - Ah bon... you are in solidarity with each other? In the assembly, in your profession as a politician, do you show solidarity?
Charles Natutiki - I'm not talking about my profession, I'm talking about people among themselves, in the streets.
Lula Namatatiki - Mr. Natutiki. You criticize everyone. I don't know what's wrong with you, but you criticize everyone. The government, the president, the institutions. You live on criticism. Do you already love each other? If yes, we can go further. You are never satisfied.
Charles Natutiki - Sorry, but you are an extremely bad president who is illegitimate. I don't know your mission in life, but I know that you are pulling all Nofoaganese into extremely bad decisions.
Lula Namatatiki - Natutiki, you always attack others without doubting yourself. I am telling you very honestly. Easy.
Journalist - Madam President, Mr. Natutiki ... Please. We would almost forget that there is a third candidate. Mrs. Monserré?
Patricia Monserré - Firstly, I find it very regrettable that a subject like this, which is extremely important, is brought up like this. Secondly, it is true that there is a gap between ethnic nofoaganese and ethnic French. We can do what Lula Namatatiki has been trying to do and that is create a fake identity. That does not work. We can do what the PFN has tried to do several times and that is just doing nothing and counting on the goodwill of the people themselves. More than 80% of the Nofoaganese are of French origin. We must embrace each other while striving for a more homogeneous identity.
Journalist - Which is...
Patricia Monserré - The French. But, and I want to add that immediately and I really insist. We must not institutionalize that. We cannot force that. That has been a process of generations. Nofoaga has been independent since 1995. Well, let us take the time to steadily but openly engage in this process.
Lula Namatatiki - However, as soon as you were elected, you want to rename Nofoaga back to its colonial past and adopt the name Gentilles Islands.
Patricia Monserré- Because that is the only and correct name of our country Madam President. By the way, you renamed the capital to its original name. You have reintroduced the French tricolor after your failed bird flag.
Journalist - Mr. Charles Natutiki?
Charles Natutiki - What is important is that we take up the challenge to look up ourselves. And not like Monserré wants, living on the past glory of a colonizer or like Namatatiki did, inventing an artificial identity that suddenly everyone has to fit in.
Journalist - We have apparently raised a sensitive topic in this part of the grand debate. We continue with migration. But that's for after the break.
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PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE - PART 4: MIGRATION
Nofoaga is an open country that welcomes everyone. This is evidenced by our open migration policy. But do the candidates want that? What can be done differently and especially ... what can be improved? Mrs. Patricia Monserré?
Patricia Monserré - Our country has always been very open. To the regret of those who envy it, this is a result of colonization. And that openness was also maintained after independence. I would therefore like to emphasize that this openness is a real element of our identity. From us as a society but also as Europeans.
Journalist - Mrs. Lula Namatatiki?
Lula Namatatiki - Yes, I agree 100 percent with that. I think I can also say that anyone who contradicts that has no sense of our society or our history. This openness is an asset for our country. It has helped this government to seize all opportunities and really open up to Europe but also other countries such as Spain for example.
Mr. Natutiki?
Charles Natutiki - I agree, and what the president says is correct. Those who contradict that come from another world. What bothers me is that the boundary between citizens and residents is extremely minimal. This can certainly be made clearer by, for example, following an integration course and reserving the right to vote for the citizens of this country.
Patricia Monserré - I can follow you somewhere, Mr. Natutiki. But what is the essence of our country? Of our society? The will to participate in organized society no matter where you were born. You just called for reconciliation of groups and communities. Now you are faced with the opposite. Too bad you're not consistent.
Journalist - What, then, do you propose Monserré?
Patricia Monserré - You may not like to hear it, but I support Mrs Namatatiki in this. And as I said, it is not about where you come from, but about the will to participate in society.
Lula Namatatiki - I'll note those points Patricia.
Journalist - Mrs. Namatatiki, I suppose you will just continue your line if you are elected?
Lula Namatatiki - Of course. That is literally what our country stands for. Nofoaga literally means the place of meeting. Let's make the most of that strength, which is ours, and invest in everyone who wants to help build this project.
Journalist - We have apparently found a common denominator among the three candidates who will compete for your vote tomorrow. We conclude the debate here. Tomorrow it is up to you. During the day, the results will be shared, live, on the public broadcaster. Until then.
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Good morning and welcome to this live broadcast. Today we all go to the polls and choose who will lead Nofoaga in the near future.
The polling stations have been open since 8am. Perhaps some of you have already cast your vote.
I would like to mention that the candidate who wins the most constituencies has won the elections. Over the course of this day, the results will come in gradually.
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